Can Trump Get the Ball in the End Zone on the First Ballot?

“With Ryan out of the equation, the next president will win not because he or she is the most loved, but because he or she is the least hated…

If Paul Ryan really meant what he said, the Republican Party has lost its best chance to take the White House and maintain control of the Senate…

No one illustrates these internal contradictions more colorfully than Alex Castellanos, a media consultant… Six weeks ago he said, ‘ Trump earned the nomination. He won it fair and square…’

On April 3, Castellanos thought better of his earlier assessment and produced a sharp critique of all the remaining Republican Candidates:

‘If Mr. Trump is one hundred or more votes away from the nomination it is unlikely he can find the delegates to get the ball in the end zone on the first ballot. He will turn the ball over on downs though nearly at the goal line. On the second ballot, he drops 100 or 200 votes or more and starts bleeding. Ultimately, he bleeds to death on the convention floor—which you think would be good news for the candidate in second place, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) unless of course, you’ve met Senator Ted Cruz.’

Castellanos was particularly dismissive of Cruz:

‘Senator Cruz has no value beyond an alternative to Donald Trump. If Trump collapses, the need for Ted Cruz evaporates, so Cruz is at risk of collapsing, too. Senator Cruz is the unpleasant medicine the Republican Party is willing to swallow when it is sick, but not when it is feeling healthier As Donald Trump backs out of the convention hall, Cruz is likely to get a run but then fall short, which gives John Kasich his moment..”

It’s American football season, as well as the presidential ball season. Which is more interesting?